Transport Services Research Articles

Exploring Journey Experiences of Disabled Passengers in Using Public Transport

This study aims to enhance the understanding of disabled passengers' experiences with public transport by addressing the challenges in measuring their satisfaction and service quality. The central problem is the difficulty in accurately assessing and improving the service quality for disabled passengers, given the diverse needs and barriers they face. Utilizing the SERVQUAL model, which focuses on Tangibility, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy, the study identifies and evaluates these key dimensions in the context of public transport services. Findings reveal both unique needs and commonalities among different disability groups: hearing-impaired passengers require visual signals and nonverbal communication, visually impaired passengers need clear auditory announcements and staff assistance, and physically disabled passengers require accessible infrastructure and supportive services. Commonalities include the appreciation for reliable train schedules, cleanliness, and the need for empathetic and responsive staff. Based on these insights, recommendations are provided to enhance service quality by improving physical accessibility features, enhancing communication methods, and providing targeted staff training. Implementing these recommendations will address specific needs and improve the overall satisfaction of disabled passengers, contributing to a more inclusive and effective public transport system. Future work should focus on integrating additional models and exploring other key variables to uncover further insights into service quality and passenger satisfaction. This approach will offer a more comprehensive understanding of how various factors interact and contribute to a more inclusive and effective public transport system.

Abstract A005: Addressing Moonshot limitations: High-risk racial disparities in leading cancers

Abstract Cancer remains a leading cause of death in the U.S., posing a significant public health challenge with rising incidence rates among young adults. In response, the Biden administration reignited The Cancer Moonshot initiative in 2022, aiming to reduce cancer mortality by 50% over the next 25 years. However, as there remains different mortality rates across subpopulations defined by race and ethnicity, the 50% translates into much more or less depending on the starting point for each group. Achieving this goal would require a 57.0% decrease for Black Americans, 51.9% decrease for White Americans, 21.4% for Asian Americans, 31.0% decrease for Hispanics, and 41.3% decrease for American Indian/Alaska Natives. This study examines the trends in in U.S. cancer incidence, 5-year survival, and mortality during 1992-2022 with a focus on the five leading cancers (lung, colorectal, breast, pancreas, prostate) stratified by race and ethnicity. From 2008-2020, overall cancer death rates have declined by 1.18%/year with attribution to declining lung cancer rates (-2.75%/year, 2005-2020) and anti-smoking campaigns. Estimates have been made on how to meet the Cancer Moonshot through primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention, but these rates have not factored in the different starting points nor racial disparities that exist. Progress has been heterogenous across racial/ethnic groups. Non-Hispanic Black communities continue to face excessive cancer burden compared to counterparts and have had the slowest declines in annual percent changes for mortality. To reach the Moonshot’s mortality goals in 2047, an annual decline of 1.78% across all racial and ethnic groups is needed. However, the required mortality reductions vary by cancer type and are lower for Non-Hispanic Blacks and Non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives due to inadequate access to screening and treatment. This study delineates the need for multi-level, culturally tailored interventions to improve cancer prevention, screening, and treatment accessibility. To achieve Moonshot objectives, it is imperative to increase the number of on-site patient navigators, enhance accessibility through health education and transportation services, and promote digital campaigns for primary and secondary prevention services. Despite discrepancies in interventions and policy practices, enhancing the cultural competence and holistic nature of these interventions will strengthen efforts towards health equity. These approaches can better serve high-risk groups and alleviate racial disparities in cancerous outcomes. Citation Format: Sukhmani Kaur, Rebecca Kehm, Mary Beth Terry. Addressing Moonshot limitations: High-risk racial disparities in leading cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr A005.

Analisis Tingkat Kepuasan Pelanggan Terhadap Pengguna Jasa Layanan Grab Menggunakan Metode C4.5

Technological advances have brought significant changes in various aspects of life, including transportation. Grab as one of the pioneers of online transportation services in Indonesia is the main choice for many people. However, competition among online transportation service companies forces each service provider to compete in improving the quality of their services. This study aims to analyze the level of customer satisfaction with the use of Grab services using the C4.5 method. This method was chosen because of its ability to form a decision tree model that helps identify the main factors that influence customer satisfaction. The data for this study were obtained from a survey of Grab customers who used Grab driver services within a certain period of time. The survey covered various aspects of user experience, such as Ease of Use of the Application, Service Availability, Waiting Time, Price, Security. The data was analyzed using the C4.5 algorithm to gain an in-depth understanding of the factors that influence the level of customer satisfaction. The analysis shows that the C4.5 method is effective in identifying factors that influence customer satisfaction. The results of the rapidminer test show the accuracy of the C4.5 algorithm from 100 respondent data obtained, which is 94.00%. These results are expected to provide valuable input for the Grab company and drivers in an effort to improve the quality of their services.

Market of transport and logistics services in the context of global transformation of supply chains

The article examines the market of transport and logistics services in the Russian Federation and provides an analysis of key trends and changes caused by the transformation of supply chains associated with political and economic factors. The analysis examines the quantitative characteristics of the transport and logistics services market and identifies current trends and their impact on the transformation of logistics systems. An analysis of the development of the multimodal transportation segment and the role of cargo containerization in the development of this segment is provided. When discussing the results, the classifications of transport and logistics services proposed by various researchers and their applicability in studying of the market of transport and logistics services in the Russian Federation are analyzed. The impact of supply chain transformation is examined using the example of the oil and gas complex of the Russian Federation. The main problems faced by oil and gas enterprises in the context of changing supply chains and the orientation of the economy are highlighted. The article presents the main ways to solve some of the problems identified by researchers, for example, the reorientation of oil transportation to the Northern Sea Route and the Siberian pipelines, leading material flows to the east and to the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

Transportation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Home- and Community-Based Services

BackgroundTransportation can help improve the health, quality of life, and community integration of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Yet, transportation is one of people with IDD's most common unmet needs. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine if, and, how, states provide non-medical transportation to people with IDD in their Medicaid HCBS programs. MethodsUsing content analysis and descriptive statistics, this study analyzed fiscal year (FY) 2021 Medicaid HCBS 1915(c) waivers for people with IDD from across the nation to examine how they allocated transportation. ResultsIn FY 2021, all 44 states and the District of Columbia with HCBS waivers for people with IDD provided transportation services. Transportation was included either by providing a stand-alone service that exclusively provided transportation, or by being embedded within another service. Transportation was embedded within 896 different HCBS services for people with IDD, most commonly within residential habilitation services (26.70 %), supported employment services (19.44 %), and day habilitation (18.44 %). Thirty-three states (73.33 %) also provided 145 different stand-alone transportation services in their programs for people with IDD, to increase community integration and help people gain access to waiver services. A total of $781.78 million of spending was projected for stand-alone transportation services for 261,109 people with IDD (30.32 % of waiver recipients). ConclusionsHCBS waivers are an important resource for providing transportation for people with IDD. However, significant variation in how states do so may result in disparities or unmet needs.

River information systems as a factor in improving the efficiency of inland waterway transport

The creation of a full-fledged information system that integrates important information for both government agencies and transport participants, and increases the openness of the transport services market, is an extremely urgent task for domestic inland waterway transport. To date, on the basis of the Administrations of the Basins of inland Waterways, elements of the river information system (RIS) have been developed, the main purpose of which is to control the movement of the fleet, the operation of hydraulic structures and ensure the safety of navigation. The article discusses the ways and directions of further development of RIS, including the creation of an information and analytical subsystem for monitoring the operation of river transport for the purposes of state regulation and control and the development of an information platform for interaction between transport participants and other entities related to the control and maintenance of inland waterway transport. The creation and implementation of the information subsystems considered in this paper will contribute to improving the efficiency and competitiveness of river transport.

Actual tasks of the development of river container transportation

The article is devoted to proposals within the framework of strategic objectives for the development of multimodality in river cargo transportation. The introduction describes the current state of river port infrastructure, assesses its readiness for containerization and provides statistics on such transportation. The materials and methods formulate strategic objectives for solving the problems of effective functioning of river transport in modern conditions. The results show the technology for reloading container cargo with portal cranes. results of calculating the travel time of container cargo along the route St. Petersburg - Kazan, taking into account transshipment by water and rail transport. The authors included scientific and practical recommendations for the discussion on the formation of a container line and the composition of ports on it. In conclusion, it was concluded that container transportation has prospects for development on river highways, which will contribute to both achieving the strategic goal of developing multimodality in transport and logistics schemes involving inland water transport, and can also lead to an increase in cargo traffic, improving the quality of transport services for clients and increasing competitiveness of river highways, which is especially important in the current conditions of the breakdown of traditional logistics connections.

Sustainable Development of the China Railway Express under the Belt and Road Initiative: Focusing on Infrastructure Reliability and Trade Facilitation

The China Railway Express (CR Express) is an important component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The sustainable development of CR Express provides critical support for regional economic integration and promotes a balanced development of the supply chain. Infrastructure reliability and trade facilitation greatly impact the operation of CR Express and are crucial for improving the competitiveness of transnational trade and cross-border efficiency. Inconsistent transportation infrastructure standards and low-efficient transportation service procedures affect the cross-border movement of cargo among countries. This paper integrates quantified metrics of infrastructure reliability and trade facilitation into a spatial friction model based on the electrical resistance theory, estimating the impact of these factors on the transportation flow of CR Express. Additionally, three scenarios of infrastructure reliability and trade facilitation are established for the four trade routes from Zhengzhou to Hamburg. Numerical experiments show that compared with inland river routes and traditional ocean routes, infrastructure reliability and trade facilitation significantly influence the transport flow of CR Express. These research results can provide a reference for the improvements of CR Express transportation efficiency and the simplification of customs clearance processes, potentially promoting the sustainable development of the CR Express supply chain to some extent.

Characteristics and Effects of the Last Kilometre of the Tourist City from the Dynamic and Static Perspectives

The accessibility of the “last kilometre” of a tourist city has a profound impact on the travelling experience of tourists. In-depth understanding of the characteristics and spatial effects of the “last-kilometre” traffic accessibility in tourist cities is conducive to further enhancing the accessibility of traffic travel and forming a new industry development pattern of deep integration of traffic and tourism. The results show that: (1) Private transport accessibility is significantly better than public transport accessibility, and the strong economic strength of large cities such as Peking, Shanghai, and Nanjing support a wider coverage of public transport compared with cities such as Qinhuangdao, Dalian, Ningbo, etc. Even for the middle-income and high-income groups of the large cities, the advantage of the broader travelling cost of public transport is still significant. (2) The average values of the fluctuation coefficients of travel time of public transport in tourist cities are all smaller than those of private transport, and public transport is less sensitive to traffic congestion, making it a more reliable choice for tourist travel. The higher number of public transport grids with more anomalous fluctuations and much larger fluctuations than private transport grids suggests that there is an urgent need to strengthen the standardisation of public transport services in the corresponding areas. (3) Urban tourism development has been moving from single-line to network development, and the impact of urban transport on urban–regional tourism development has been manifested in the place fission effect, corridor diffusion effect, and regional equilibrium effect. In general, our findings have been useful in understanding the accessibility characteristics of the “last kilometre” in tourist cities, optimizing the efficiency of inter-regional and intra-city transport connections, constructing a fast and convenient travel transport system, improving the accessibility of transport trips, and forming a new development pattern for the deep integration of transport and tourism.

How successful is my DRT system? A review of different parameters to consider when developing flexible public transport systems

The digitisation of transport services has led to the implementation of so-called demand-responsive transport (DRT) systems with varying setups and goals around the globe. Numerous approaches have been made to account for differences in the local circumstances and regulations to achieve the most successful outcome for those services in both, rural and urban areas. The reasons for their widespread popularity are the envisaged benefits of economically reasonable operations combined with ecologically and socially beneficial traffic. Yet, while some DRT systems persist over an extended period, many fail to become a permanent passenger transportation option, especially in rural areas.This paper shall explore parameters suited to measure the success of a DRT system and structure their inter-dependencies. Firstly, the paper presents types of flexibility and their different gradations in order to classify varying systems. Secondly, suitable and already used parameters to measure figures of DRT systems like travelled distances and vehicle occupations are examined and with their respective application cases lucidly compared. Thirdly, the paper proposes a four-step evaluation framework and discusses existing and new approaches to comparing the success of different flexible transport systems and future possibilities.

Flight Schedule Optimization Considering Fine-Grained Configuration of Slot Coordination Parameters

In response to the rapid growth of air passenger and cargo transportation services and the sharp increase in congestion at various airports, it is necessary to optimize the allocation of flight schedules. On the basis of reducing the total airport delay time and ensuring the total deviation of flight schedules applied by airlines, it is necessary to consider finely configuring flight schedules with slot coordination parameters, introducing a 5 min slot coordination parameter, and optimizing airport flight schedules in different time periods. This article considers factors such as flight schedule uniqueness, corridor flow restrictions, and time adjustment range limitations to establish a three-objective flight-schedule refinement configuration model, which is solved using the NSGA-II algorithm based on the entropy weight method. Taking Beijing Capital International Airport as an example, the optimized results show that the total flight delay was reduced from 4130 min to 1142 min, and the original delay of 389 flights was reduced to 283 flights. Therefore, flight schedule optimization considering the fine-grained configuration of slot coordination parameters can effectively reduce airport delays, fully utilize time resources, and reduce waste of time slot resources.

Smarter but more unequal transport? How socioeconomic and digital inequalities hinder adoption of mobility apps in the Global South

All over the world, cities are becoming “smarter.” The improved use of data generated by the transport system (e.g. smart cards data), combined with GPS trackers and citizens’ mobile data enabled the development of a new generation of smarter mobile apps (e.g., Waze) and several local real-time public transport services and trip planners. These technologies have the potential to reduce transport inequalities via two mechanisms. First, governments can develop more efficient and evidence-based public transport plans. Second, citizens have access to better, real-time information about public transport for trip planning and, thus, can make better—i.e., more efficient or cheaper—decisions regarding their everyday mobility. To assess whether citizens’ appropriation of smart mobility—as with their appropriation of any other digital service—depends strongly on having a certain set of socioeconomic and digital attributes, we analyzed both a mobility survey and a digital inequalities survey based on representative samples of adult Uruguayans living in the capital Montevideo. We find that while the use of mobility apps increased in the second half of the 2010s, the adoption of these tools was stratified by traditional digital inequalities, such as type of internet access and digital literacy, and by variables that predict inequalities in both digital and transport fields, such as age, gender and education. As a result, mobility continues to be stratified in favor of those who are more knowledgeable (i.e., tech-savvy) and have greater access to digital technology. Thus, “smart mobility” has failed to ameliorate—and may even exacerbate—transport inequality. Policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Predicting costs of local public bus transport services through machine learning methods

The present study developed several machine learning-based cost models to predict an efficient total economic cost per vehicle revenue-mile of urban public bus transport. The models were trained on a built-in dataset from 269 transit agencies providing urban services in the United States from 2015 to 2019. A feature selection strategy was implemented, finding that, for each proposed model, a subset of features determined a large impact on unit cost. These “core” features included commercial speed, average salary expenses per employee, vehicle productivity, and fleet ownership cost per vehicle. Machine learning techniques outperformed the linear regression method in terms of predictive power and robustness (understood as the dispersion of predictive power measures over the training sets). Based on SHAP values, the sensitivity analyses showed that the proposed models could be used to predict the impact of changes in some critical features on corresponding unit costs. The results may be useful for: (i) introducing regulatory constraints to the allocation of national public resources to local public bus transport services, aimed at minimizing the resources needed to provide a given level of service; (ii) defining the maximum economic compensation required by firms involved in competitive tendering for the allotment of service concessions, or firms with monopoly rights (by political choice and/or local public ownership); and (iii) improving service contract management and design by identifying key cost drivers of transit services.

Product Demand Forecasting For Inventory Management with Freight Transportation Services Index Using Advanced Neural Networks Algorithm

Purpose: Accurate demand forecasting is critical for optimizing inventory management, improving customer satisfaction, and maximizing profitability in the retail sector. Traditional forecasting models predominantly utilize micro-level variables, such as historical sales data and promotional activities, often neglecting the influence of macroeconomic conditions. Materials and Methods: This study addresses this gap by integrating Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) which is an indicator for overall economic health with time series data of retail product sales. Utilizing an advanced neural networks model, we demonstrate that incorporating macroeconomic variables significantly enhances the model's predictive accuracy and explanatory power. Findings: The results reveal that the model with the TSI index outperforms conventional models, highlighting its potential for practical application in the industry. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: This approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of demand dynamics, enabling businesses to make more informed decisions, adapt to market fluctuations, and maintain a competitive edge.

An application of gravity models to freight data in Malaysia

Background: Freight transport services and international trade are among important factors in pushing economies’ transition forward. Malaysia’s strategic location along key maritime routes positions it as a vital hub for international shipping and logistics, facilitating efficient trade between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.Objectives: Despite extensive global studies on freight and trade, little specific research exists from Malaysia’s perspective. Thus, this study aims to evaluate how factors such as economic size of trade partners and distance impact Malaysia’s freight transport in international trade, using the gravity model, a tool for analysing bilateral trade flows.Method: Three types of gravity models are employed to assess the impact of economic scale, infrastructure and demographic factors on freight transport. Then the validity of these relationships is further evaluated.Results: The random effect model (REM) is found to be the best fitted model. The study identifies infrastructure and economic scale as pivotal factors influencing both freight export and import. The result showed the volume of container handled in ports is the main determinant in both export and import of freight, whereas air freight has significant impact to boost the export of freight. Distance is statistically significant, however, with marginally small impact.Conclusion: Based on the analysis, we can conclude that the robust port infrastructure and efficient logistical facilities are important in reducing freight costs and enhancing Malaysia’s international trade competitiveness.Contribution: This study mainly contributes on providing empirical evidence and in-depth insight on Malaysia freight transport services through the application of gravity models.

A method for evaluating the effectiveness of improving public transport services, parking fee policies, and park-and-ride facilities in order to encourage the use of public transport

Enhancing the quality of public transport services, implementing effective parking fee policies, and developing park-and-ride facilities are common solutions that urban planners and city governments apply to encourage public transport use. However, estimating the impact of these measures on increasing public transport usage during the solution design process is challenging. This article proposes an approach to assess the effects of these measures in the solution design process, which policymakers or city governments can apply to formulate suitable policies and feasible measures aligned with the local context. The approach begins with a survey on travel behaviour, followed by formulating a mode choice model to assess the sensitivity of the mode share to factors affecting mode choice. This approach is applied to Da Lat city, and the research results indicate how to enhance public transport services, determine appropriate parking fee levels, and establish park-and-ride facilities to achieve a public transport share of 5%, 10%, 15%, or higher. One of the main research results shows that the Park and Ride solution is feasible. Additionally, to achieve a growth rate of public transport volume up to 10%, it is necessary to improve public transport quality services combined with an increase in car parking fees in the downtown area

Sustainable Business Models for Innovative Urban Mobility Services

Any sharing mobility service aims to make urban mobility sustainable to help reduce environmental impacts and improve the quality of life for all in cities. Many transport services are not currently self-sustainable. The Life for Silver Coast (LifeSC) opened its mobility services on 22 May 2021 and offered electric mobility services during the summer for a few cities in Tuscany. E-bikes and e-scooters can be financially neutral, and even profitable, thanks to the low costs of the vehicles, but they only see a high utilization rate in winter. Shared electric cars, meanwhile, are not profitable. A new shared service that is viable must be profitable to become widely adopted and significantly contribute to sustainability. A few key characteristics have been identified, and one has been tested with a new business model that combines ride-sharing and car-sharing. The innovative Ride Sharing Algorithm (RSA) has been tested based on data from a potential city, Monterondo, where many commuters travel daily to Rome by train. The Italian census and local survey data allowed for the simulation of the scheduling of vehicle rides and an evaluation of the economic results, which could be positive if enough interest for such a system exists among the people, as at least 400 commuters from Monterotondo go to the train station daily in the morning and return in the afternoon. Such a transport demand would justify a new commercial sharing service by using the model tested with the RSA algorithm.

Smart Transportation Systems: IOT-enabled Traffic Management & Vehicle-to-infrastructure Communication

Recently, there has been a substantial increase in the number of cars on the road. Escalating traffic congestion is a widespread problem that folks face on a daily basis. The manual control of traffic-by-traffic police has shown to be ineffective. “Furthermore, the signal's set duration has failed to effectively address this issue, regardless of the level of traffic congestion. This research presents a communication system called Vehicle-to-Blockchain (V2B), which utilizes blockchain technology to enable transparent and decentralized communications. The aim is to optimize the incorporation of blockchain technology into V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) and IoT (Internet of Things) systems, therefore enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of future transportation systems. We present a range of advanced applications for blockchain technology, such as a car ownership system that utilizes the multi-token standard, a vehicle grading system, the integration of blockchain with the Internet of Things (IoT), and a decentralized ticket administration system for transportation services. The design places a high emphasis on essential elements such as the seamless integration of data, precise precision, and the establishment of secure connections. Furthermore, it includes a decentralized payment system and marketplace for transportation inside smart cities. Our main focus is on the technical execution of smart contracts in these particular scenarios, highlighting their importance in guaranteeing strong and dependable interactions. Our decentralized approach creates a transportation ecosystem that has the ability to adjust and fulfill the evolving requirements of intelligent urban areas. It is groundbreaking, durable, and capable

Online Base Transportation Service Quality and Customers Satisfaction Analysis

This study investigates how customer satisfaction is influenced by various service quality factors, including price, convenience, safety, and information and communication technologies (ICT). The study focused on Go-Jek users in Airmadidi and its surrounding areas, encompassing both frequent and first-time users. Data were collected using a Google Forms questionnaire from a sample of 315 respondents selected through convenience sampling. Prior to distribution, the validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested with 37 respondents in a pilot study. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to assess the relationships between the different service quality attributes (safety, price, convenience, ICT) and customer satisfaction. The results revealed a strong relationship between customer satisfaction and the service quality factors of safety, price, convenience, and ICT. Among these factors, ICT showed the strongest association with customer satisfaction.

Implementation of smart mobility and relationship with transportation planning and regional development: A case study of South Tangerang city

Urbanization and suburbanization have led to high population growth in certain city regions, resulting in increased population density and mobility. Therefore, there is a need for a concept to address congestion, public transportation, information and communication systems, and non-motorized vehicles. Smart mobility is a concept of urban development as part of the smart city concept based on information and communication technology. Through this concept, it is expected that transportation services will be easily accessible, safe, comfortable, fast, and affordable for the community. This research aims to analyze smart mobility and its relationship with regional transportation planning and the development of South Tangerang, as well as to design a policy strategy model for the planning and development of South Tangerang with smart mobility. The research method used in this study is a mixed method, including analyzing the relationships and weighting of relationships between variables using the Cross Impact Multiplication applied to a classification (MICMAC) matrix. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) with Promethee software is also used to obtain the necessary policies. The results of this research indicate that the measurement of relationships between variables shows that smart mobility influences regional transportation planning, smart mobility affects regional development, and regional planning affects regional development. This research also provides alternative policies that policymakers should implement in a specific order. First, ensure the availability of public transportation; second, improve public transportation safety; third, enhance public transportation security; fourth, improve public transportation routes; fifth, provide real-time information access; sixth, improve transportation schedules; and seventh, increase the number of bicycle lanes.